Thread: Traditional Russian Songs

Does anybody know an Internet site where I could get the wording of traditional Russian Songs, and if available the English, French or Spanish translation?

Which ones?

Like Black Eyes, Kalinka, etc...

This site has the words for a few folk songs:
http://ingeb.org/catru.html

Thank you very, very much kwatts59

The song is Dark Eyes...sorry for my bad translation!!

Originally Posted by monichka

Like Black Eyes, Kalinka, etc...

Black Eyes? You mean that cossak lament "Фингалы"?

Well in the beginning I meant Romance, but with my awful translation it all ended in "Blue Eyes". The reason is in Spanish the Cosak lament is called "to get a purple eye". It is funny anyway. The color is closer to the Russian perception. Same family of colors, at least.

May be "Очи чёрные"? But it is rather a Gipsy song. As for me I hate when all those gipsy, ukranian, moldovian, jewish and totally random songs of the end of XIX- beg. of XX cc. are called "Russian" folk songs. Personnaly I even don't consider cossack's songs the "Russian" ones. And Soviet author's "would-be folk songs".

www.tatu.ru

Yes Dark Eyes has never been known to me as Russia's own, but it is traditional gypsy, therefore traditional in all countries that constantly has gypsies coming and going. I've always been confused by the title Les Yeux Noirs (lit. 'black' eyes, not dark) too. I general see it in french, not so much in English. And by the way, traditionally, are you sure this song has lyrics? I know some people may put words to it, but traditionally it's instrumental , isn't it? Most of the versions I know are in the swing guitar genre,like Django Reinhart. But of course I've heard many violin Rom band style versions.
Two amazing songs, Kalinka and Les Yeux Noir. I listen to them all the time.

Originally Posted by Propp

May be "Очи чёрные"? But it is rather a Gipsy song. As for me I hate when all those gipsy, ukranian, moldovian, jewish and totally random songs of the end of XIX- beg. of XX cc. are called "Russian" folk songs. Personnaly I even don't consider cossack's songs the "Russian" ones. And Soviet author's "would-be folk songs".

Which songs do you consider Russian folk songs? Any of these:

Ой мороз мороз
Катюша
Яблочко
Так много золотых
Каким ты был
Черный ворон
вечерный звон
Ямщик, не гони лошадей
Виновата ли я
Нас не догонят

Which songs do you consider Russian folk songs?

Definitely like Группа Крови, Перемен, Песня без слов, Звезда по имени Солнце...

Originally Posted by kalinka_vinnie

Which songs do you consider Russian folk songs? Any of these:

...
Нас не догонят

LOL
This one for sure :)

I knew it

The Russsian songs I mentioned have a gypsy or cosak origin, but they have been associated to Russia in many countries. What about Moscow Nights? Is that a traditional Russian song? Katiushchka and Two Guitars?

Flamenco is associated to Spain, it has become a cultural symbol of the country, though it has a gypsy origin It is not bad.

Here are the lyrics of "Dark Eyes" for Brett:

Очи черные, очи страстные !
Очи жгучие и прекрасные !
Как люблю я вас! Как боюсь я вас !
Знать, увидел вас я в недобрый час !
Ох, недаром вы глубины темней !
Вижу траур в вас по душе моей,
Вижу пламя в вас я победное:
Сожжено на нем сердце бедное.
Но не грустен я, не печален я,
Утешительна мне судьба моя:
Все, что лучшего в жизни бог дал нам,
В жертву отдал я огневым глазам !

Eyes black, eyes passionate!
Eyes burning and pretty!
As I love you! As I am afraid of you!
To know, I have seen you at bad hour!
Oh, not without reason you depths darken!
I see mourning in you by my soul,
I see a flame in you victorious:
Poor heart is burnt by him.
But I am not sad, I am not sad,
My destiny is consolatory to me:
Everything, that the best in life God has given to us,
I have given victim to firey eyes!

Err, something like that.

The lyrics are beautiful, as well as the music. Full of passion, great for dancing as a waltz. Thanks for the translation kwatts59, I only knew the meaning of the first verse.

Originally Posted by monichka

Очи черные, очи страстные !
Очи жгучие и прекрасные !
Как люблю я вас! Как боюсь я вас !
Знать, увидел вас я в недобрый час !
Ох, недаром вы глубины темней !
Вижу траур в вас по душе моей,
Вижу пламя в вас я победное:
Сожжено на нем сердце бедное.
Но не грустен я, не печален я,
Утешительна мне судьба моя:
Все, что лучшего в жизни бог дал нам,
В жертву отдал я огневым глазам !

Here is my shot at the lyrics, not as literal as kwatts, but maybe more true to the thought?

Dark eyes, passionate eyes!
Burning and beautiful eyes!
How I love you! How I am afraid of you!
This means I saw you at a bad time!
Oh how not in vain you are deeply dark!
I see mouring in you by my soul,
I see a flame in you it is victorious:
burnt on it is the poor heart
But I am not sad, I am not unhappy,
My fate is consolatory to me:
God gave us everything that is good
I fell victim to the firery eyes!

Только сейчас задумался о том, что циганские песни - это не русские народные. Мда, странно даже как то... Всегда считал своими.
Ну казацкие песни - это точно русские народные. Казаки - они же русские.
Да, а где главная русская народная - про березу?

Is anybody interested in NEW RUSSIAN FOLK MUSIC?

there s alink to группа Мельница below

another sites:
http://www.waterwind.ru - slavic neo-folk
http://www.veresk.ru - russian folk portal
http://www.rada.rinet.ru/ - one more russian folk group